Panorama taken from the Wolfe Viewpoint outside the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. From here there are stunning views over London, stretching from the City of London past Canary Wharf and the Docklands to the O2 centre (London Dome).

Royal Observatory and Wolfe Viewpoint - London visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Royal Observatory and Wolfe Viewpoint' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Greater London.

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is one of the main tourist attractions in Greenwich. Combined with the National Maritime Museum (NMM) and Queen's House it forms the UNESCO Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The observatory was built in 1675 by King Charles II and stands at the top of a hill overlooking Greenwich Park and the River Thames, overseen by the Astronomer Royal, who was charged with observing the stars to help solve the problem of keeping longitude time at sea. Today a major tourist attraction, the Royal observatory includes:

• Planetarium - filled with cutting edge technology to take you on a voyage through the heavens.
• Various Exhibitions -
  • Astronomy & time galleries - explore the problems of keeping time at sea, and development of the Harrison chronometers
  • Astronomy Photographer of the Year - photographic exhibition of the night skies
• 28-inch Greenwich Telescope - open to the public on designated Observation Evenings run during the winter moths.
• Flamsteed House - tour the apartments lived in by the Astronomer Royal.
• Time ball - first used in 1833, and still functioning today, used to help sailors on the Thames set their ship's chronometers, falling at 13.00 GMT each day.
• Camera Obscura - this is the only camera obscura open to the public in London.

This panorama shows the view taken from the Wolfe Viewpoint next to the Royal Observatory, so called for the statue of General Wolfe who stands facing north over London. The statue was erected in 1930, General Wolfe commanded the British forces at Quebec against the French and won a great victory, but lost his life in the conflict. In front of the statue is a popular seating area with stunning views over London.

Royal Observatory
Blackheath Avenue
Greenwich, SE10 8XJ
Website: http://www.nmm.ac.uk/places/royal-observatory/

Bus: Greenwich Village, Romney Road
Tube: North Greenwich (Jubilee Line)
Ferry: Greenwich Pier
Train: Blackheath, Greenwich and Maze Hill stations
Dockland Light Railway (DLR): Cutty Sark Station and walk through Greenwich Market.